Upon entrance at the exclusive Glamit SA event held in Bishopscourt, former Miss World, Rolene Strauss, jokingly commented: “Demi, you look amazing today! How is this going to top your wedding one day?”

Being also a brand ambassador for CHI Hair Care, the official Miss Universe hair sponsor, Demi-Leigh said that getting the opportunity to work with the global brand is extremely exciting and that she cannot wait to see what this year will hold. “Taking good care of my hair is just as important to me as taking good care of my body and soul,” added the new Miss Universe.

On having a strong voice in business…

All my parents are entrepreneurs. I wasn’t allowed to go play at a friend’s house without completing my chores first. Nothing just falls into your lap, you have to work for it.

I was given a wonderful platform being Miss Universe and I really hope to use this platform to be a voice for people who are too scared to speak out.

Preparing for Miss Universe and her biggest motivation.

I had 6 months to prepare for Miss Universe since I was crowned as Miss South Africa.

My half-sister, Franje, is 12 and she was born without a cerebellum. She does not have control to speak, eat or sit up straight. It’s a lot for any family to deal with and my parents love her just as much as they love me.

Franje is my biggest motivator in life and that’s why I do things twice as hard.

It just makes me so sad to see people waste potential and opportunity. There are so many people that’s too lazy to use it and there are people that don’t have that opportunity. Winning the Miss Universe title was not only a personal victory but a victory for the whole rainbow nation. I couldn’t be more proud to represent South Africa. I hope this will inspire every single girl with a dream, that with hard work and dedication any dream is reachable!

On meeting Margaret Gardiner (Miss Universe 1978) and social media…

I was Margaret’s guest at the Golden Globes and if I had to compare the two reigns, especially with social media in the picture, there are a lot more challenges that we have to face.

However, I believe that social media is a powerful tool that’s both an opportunity and difficult to deal with because even Instagram filters are purified. We actually do get pimples and wrinkles under our eyes in real life. Sometimes I have days where I have to wake up at 2 am in the morning! It’s so important to rest – thank goodness I’m an easy sleeper.

In the end, you have to create time for yourself where you can just be you, especially in this industry. I’ve learned to be a bit more selfish and to say no because you have to take care of yourself first.

CHI Haircare

CHI is really amazing and I love what brand stands for. To be associated with them is truly amazing and never in my wildest dream had I thought this would happen. I’ve dreamt of always doing a hair commercial, and then it finally happened!

How do you deal with bad hair days?

I usually carry a little box with pins with me, so top knots are my secret weapon for any weather condition. A trick I learned is to use hairspray if you don’t have dry shampoo around and I always carry a hair mask with me, because I get my hair styled daily.

When not on the go, Demi-Leigh likes to treat her hair with the CHI Tea Tree Oil Hair Mask which she says is perfect for reviving your hair on that day off. “Just like our bodies need rest, so does our hair. I put a hair mask on twice a month and walk around with it for a whole day.